Shortly after immigrating to Israel I became part of a work-study program on an agricultural Kibbutz in the north of Israel where I worked three days a week and studied Hebrew three days a week. I was one of about 30 new immigrants who participated in this program which was geared toward helping us acclimate to Israeli society. 

There was a young Israeli woman named Rivkah whose job it was to oversee our program. She was single, attractive, and had a wonderful personality. I made every effort to get to know her better and we seemed to hit it off in the beginning but then she popped the big question. Rivkah would be considered modern orthodox in the world of Judaism. Her faith is important to her and at one point during a conversation we had she asked me, “Daniel, do you keep kosher?” Rivkah was asking me whether or not I eat according to the Jewish kosher laws.

I was a bit surprised that she asked this question so unabashedly but it also showed me how important this subject was to her. I tried to answer her question in a round about way and I mentioned something about how all the food that we eat on the Kibbutz is kosher but I also insinuated that if I were elsewhere I may not necessarily eat kosher. Our conversation abruptly ended after she heard my answer and she made it clear that there was no future for the two of us. The kosher dietary restrictions are central to Judaism and affect every aspect of life.

Eating Kosher

Food is a significant part of every culture and religion, however, in Judaism food dominates to an extreme extent because every piece of food one buys and eats must be considered kosher. Not only this, but the cup one drinks out of, the plate one eats from, and the pan or pot which food is cooked in must all be kept to the kosher standards as set forth by the rabbis. 

The Jewish kosher food laws are a combination of the dietary ordinances that God gave to the Israelites in the Mosaic Law (Leviticus 11 and other Scriptures) taken together with the rabbinic interpretation of how this is to be lived out today. Are the dietary laws found in the Torah still valid for us today? Should Jewish and Gentile believers in Yeshua follow the dietary laws found in the Torah? I will do my best to answer these questions as we connect it to this week’s Torah Portion.

A Walk Down Kosher Lane

I always find it most helpful to go back to the origins of a certain subject in order to best understand it. Regarding the food we eat, we can go back to the Garden of Eden and read the original guidelines concerning the human diet. In Genesis chapter one we read exactly what God prescribed for the human diet at that time:

God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; – Gen. 1:28-29

These verses provide the simple diet that God originally gave to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. At that time, God only gave the plants of the ground and the fruit of the trees for them to eat.

Expanding The Diet

According to the Bible, the first family and succeeding generations lived on a vegetarian diet up until the days of Noah. For at least the first couple of thousand years of human life, the diet was one devoid of fish, fowl, and meat of any kind. It was only after the flood, as we read in this week’s Torah Portion, that God permitted humanity to eat of the various living creatures of the earth:

And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. The fear of you and the terror of you will be on every beast of the earth and on every bird of the sky; with everything that creeps on the ground, and all the fish of the sea, into your hand they are given. Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant. Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood…” – Genesis 9:1-4

The expansion of the human diet to include all kinds of fish, fowl, insects, and meat was only restricted by one caveat: the blood of the living creatures must not be eaten.

It seems that the human diet from the days of Noah until the giving of the Law was unrestricted. This being true, it seems obvious that there are certain plants, fruits, and animals that are tasty and healthy while there are others that are not soo tasty or healthy. I have visited many countries in the world and I have found that eggs, chicken, beef, and various fish are quite common in most cultures. Every country has its unique plants, fruits, and local cuisine but generally speaking many of the foods we eat are similar around the world, although they may be prepared in different ways with different spices.

The Israeli Diet

It was while the children of Israel were being led through the desert on their way to the Promised Land that the entire Law was given to Moses for the Israelites. The LORD chose the nation of Israel from all of the nations on this earth while giving them the following invitation:

Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel. – Ex. 19:5-6 

The LORD was calling Israel to be a separate and holy nation from the nations around them. Included in the many laws that God gave to they Israelites was a distinctive diet. 

The 613 Laws which are detailed in the Torah provide a comprehensive manual for life and included in this Law are creatures of the earth that the Israelites could and could not eat. We read a detailed list of these animals and creatures in Leviticus chapter eleven. At the conclusion of this chapter we read the following reasons why God commanded them to keep this certain diet:

For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy. This is the law regarding the animal and the bird, and every living thing that moves in the waters and everything that swarms on the earth, to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the edible creature and the creature which is not to be eaten. – Lev. 11:44-47

In reading these verses, together with the Torah as a whole, we see clearly that God had called Israel to be a holy and distinct nation from the nations around them. An aspect of the nation of Israel being separate from the nations around them was only eating from the creatures and animals which were considered as clean in contrast to those animals and creatures which God specified as unclean.

A Holy & Distinct People

The dietary restrictions which are given in the book of Leviticus are repeated in the book of Deuteronomy. At the beginning of Deuteronomy chapter fourteen we read again the reason for the restrictive diet:

You are the sons of the LORD your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave your forehead for the sake of the dead. For you are a holy people to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. You shall not eat any detestable thing. These are the animals which you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat,… – Deut. 14:1-4

There were many distinctive characteristics that the LORD gave the Israelites to perform and live out, including the food they ate. In part, these characteristics were to mark them as a holy nation to the LORD which separated them from the nations around them.

There are several things in the Law that distinctively separated the Israelites from the nations around them that are straight from God’s word as recorded in the Torah. Here is a short list of some of these distinctive characteristics: 

• A list of animals, birds, fish, and insects to eat or not eat

• Not cutting the corners of one’s hair

• Wearing the four-corned garment with tassels

• Keeping the Sabbath and all of the Appointed Times 

Orthodox Jews still keep all of these Laws, together with the additional hundreds of laws from the Torah and from the rabbis. How should believers in the Messiah who are living under the New Covenant interpret and live out the Law today? How do we decide what is relevant and what is irrelevant to life today, especially in regard to dietary restrictions?

There has always been a spiritual tension of exactly how to interpret the Law in believing communities (the “Church”) since the time of Yeshua’s resurrection 2000 years ago. Unfortunately, many pastors and Bible teachers fail to properly examine and teach the Scriptures regarding this subject. I wholeheartedly confess that this is not a simple matter, however, we must engage in this conversation about this subject and do our best to properly appropriate all of God’s word as contained in the Bible. I will do my best here in this article to summarize this subject with a particular focus on the biblical dietary restrictions as outlined in the Law.

New Covenant Living

In approaching this subject of understanding the Law in light of the New Covenant inaugurated for us by Yeshua, I believe it is paramount to view the whole New Testament Scriptures as our interpretative text to aid us in applying the Old Testament Scriptures. Yeshua and the apostles who wrote the New Testament constantly quoted from the Old Testament Scriptures to give us insight and guiding principles to live out the New Covenant life today. 

We need to be careful to not approach the Scriptures with a “black and white” mentality by saying that because we have the “New” therefore we can get rid of the “Old.” Paul emphasized this in his letter to the Romans:

But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.” – Romans 7:6-7

The Law reveals to us God’s holy standard of what sin is and this does not change.  We need to distinguish, however, between that which was temporary in the Law, enabling Israel to be a distinct nation as the people of God, and that which continues until today as we are a new people by His Holy Spirit. As we read in the above verses, “…we serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter…”

The New Testament Diet

As the apostles worked to establish the new community of believers in Yeshua during the first century, they were constantly forced to consider how to go forward regarding the Law. They had received the Holy Spirit and they needed to continually walk with God and with one another to understand how to live a New Covenant life.

On several occasions in the New Testament we read how the Lord interjected in human affairs by His Spirit, by angels, and through dreams and visions in order to lead His people forward. On one of these occasions, we see how God gave Cornelius and Peter corresponding visions as we read in the book of Acts. We will pickup the story with Peter’s vision:

On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.” Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky. – Acts 10:9-16

This was a powerful message that God gave to Peter through a vision which clearly brought a change in the Law which Peter had tried to keep all of his life. 

The account of Peter and Cornelius in Acts chapter ten presents a pivotal change in the Scriptures as a result of the New Covenant. That which was once considered unclean (the various creatures of the earth) was now to be considered clean. Peter clearly interpreted this vision from God as a change not simply regarding diet, but the way God viewed the Gentile nations as we read in the following verses:

And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean. That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask for what reason you have sent for me.” – Acts 10:28-29

The New Covenant had brought about a change in the Law and Peter saw clearly that God was doing a new thing regarding that which was considered the clean and the unclean. We know that the end result was a great salvation that came to the house of Cornelius, a Roman Gentile who together with his family placed their faith in Yeshua as the Messiah.

The Clean & The Unclean

In order to understand the connection between the change in the food laws and the change in the way that God viewed the Gentile nations, it is necessary to read the outcome of this situation and how the other apostles interpreted what had happened. In the beginning of Acts chapter eleven we read the following account:

Now the apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him, saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” But Peter began speaking and proceeded to explain to them in orderly sequence, saying,… – Acts 11:1-4

And then Peter went on to describe everything that had occurred. The irony of this situation is that household of Gentiles came to faith in Yeshua and the first reaction by the apostles in Jerusalem who were also followers of Yeshua was to question Peter as to how he could go into the home of a Gentile and eat a meal with them. Unheard of! It is like they were saying, “Peter, what are you doing? Did you forget that you are a Jew?”  

If we were to only read Acts chapter ten without Acts chapter eleven we could say that God was possibly just giving Peter a symbolic illustration with the command “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy…” in regard to no longer considering Gentiles as unclean. However, when we read Acts chapter eleven we begin to see that there was a more comprehensive paradigm shift in how the New Covenant affected how the Jewish believers would relate to the Law from this point forward. 

The wording of those first few verses in Acts chapter eleven are powerful and reveal to us that the vision Peter saw and the events with Cornelius and his household were multi-faceted. We read about certain Jewish believers who were called “circumcised” (the physical mark of the Covenant that God gave to Abraham and distinguished Israel from the nations around them). It is important to note that all Jewish men are circumcised. These circumcised believers rebuked Peter by saying that he went to “… uncircumcised men and ate with them.” (Acts 11:3) In this understanding, the Jewish believers in Jerusalem were clinging to what they had been taught all of their life regarding what it means to be a Jew who walks with God: to be distinct from the Gentile nations, to be circumcised, to eat according to the Law, and to not potentially defile oneself by eating in the house of a Gentile. 

The Mark Of The Holy Spirit

Despite their faith in Yeshua as the Messiah, these Jewish believers were still holding onto distinctive characteristics of the Covenant at Mt. Sinai. It was only by means of the vision that Peter saw and the events that took place in the house of Cornelius that Peter evidenced the power of God in their lives and realized that the New Covenant had brought change to their old way of life. At the close of Peter’s explanation to the Jewish believers in Jerusalem, we read the following conclusion:

“Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.” – Acts 11:17-18

The outward characteristics of the Israelites which were in the flesh were now being replaced by the indwelling Holy Spirit for Jew and Gentile alike.

How Then Should We Eat?

The debate and dialogue among the apostles regarding the Gentile believers in Yeshua did not end in Acts chapter eleven. The pinnacle of this debate is recorded in Acts chapter fifteen, which you can read on your own. I will just highlight the conclusion they arrived at regarding what the Gentile believers should adhere to regarding keeping the Law:

For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell. – Acts 15:28-29

The subject of meat sacrificed to idols is something addressed several times in the New Testament. The instruction about not eating meat with the blood was first given to Noah and it was also written in the Law. There was nothing else added regarding dietary restrictions for the Gentile believers.

In Romans chapter fourteen Paul addressed several issues in connection to observing certain days (more than likely the Sabbath and various biblical festivals) as well as those who ate only vegetables in contrast to those who ate meat. Again the whole chapter deals with these issues but there are a few verses that summarize Paul’s conclusions on these matters:

…Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. – Rom. 14:5b

…for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. – Rom. 14:17

Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. – Rom. 14:20

There is freedom in the Spirit to express ourselves regarding how we keep the Sabbath and festivals as well as what we eat. We need to be considerate of those in our community but in the end each person needs to be convinced in his or her own mind regarding these things.

The Conclusion Of The Matter

We read in various letters of Paul to the believers in the New Testament regarding whether or not to eat certain things, especially in regard to meat that was offered to idols (1 Cor. 8:1-13. 10:23-33). Paul instructed them to follow their conscience and do not do that which causes another to stumble.  

We also read general instructions regarding appropriating the Law as it relates to the dietary restrictions and the festivals in the book of Colossians. Again Paul provides a freedom of choice to believers in Yeshua:

Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Messiah. – Colossians 2:16-17 

And in Paul’s letter to Timothy, Paul wrote the following in addressing those who want to forbid the eating of certain foods:

For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; – 1 Timothy 4:4

Over and over again throughout the New Testament we read how there is freedom regarding this subject of the food we eat for both Jew and Gentile alike who have come to be part of God’s kingdom through Yeshua.

The Biblical Diet

In conclusion, it is important to note that the New Testament does not prohibit a person from keeping the dietary restrictions as found in the Law. We are free to keep the restrictions or we are free to eat whatever we want, giving thanks to the Lord and always in consideration of those in whose company we find ourselves. 

On a personal note, I will add that the dietary ordinances that God gave in the Law are not oppressive. They mostly focus on defining which animals, birds, insects, and sea creatures are clean and which ones are not clean. As I have written previously, there is great wisdom in following God’s prescribed list of which animals to eat and which ones to avoid. To read this article, click this link: Bats & Covid-19 

The freedom we have in the Spirit as a result of the New Covenant enables us to receive the blessing of God to eat according to the words spoken to Noah and his family after the flood:

“…Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant. Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood…” – Gen. 9:1-4

The only dietary restriction which God gave to Noah, commanded in the Law, and emphasized again in the New Testament is the command to not eat the flesh with the blood still in it. God is a good Father and He wants us to enjoy the wonderful creation that He has given us. Whenever we eat or drink, may we do so with a clear conscience and a thankful spirit!

Shabbat Shalom!

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*All Scripture take from NASB Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

**The Hebrew name “Yeshua” is used in the biblical quotations in place of the English name “Jesus” to give emphasis to the meaning of this name, salvation. The word “Messiah” is also used in place of the word “Christ” to bring clarity to the office of Yeshua.

Torah Portion: Gen. 6:9-11:32

Haftara: Isaiah 54:1-55:5

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